Chapter 5
She froze.
I stared at her.
"Will you stand with me, or with your dad?" I pressed.
Her lips moved, but no words came out. "I..."
She couldn't get another word out.
Just then, her phone started ringing from inside her bag.
Charles's voice came booming through, sounding impatient as ever.
"Where are you? Why aren't you here yet?" Charles barked. "Aunt Margaret's talk is about to start. The whole family's here except you."
Last Friday, I overheard some ladies at the community center chatting about Margaret's upcoming lecture.
It was supposed to be about how women could live full, beautiful lives without relying on men.
Charles kept going, "Didn't you say you would arrange for us to take the Wade Family Three-Generation Portrait after the lecture?"
Before he could finish, Lynn hurriedly hung up.
She said, "Mom, I came to get you today because I wanted you to be in the family portrait. I swear, it has nothing to do with Aunt Margaret."
I stared at her. I said nothing, only stared.
She grew more flustered, her words tumbling out in a jumble.
Lynn stammered, "It is that everyone will be there, so I thought you should come too, and we could take a new family portrait together. Mom, I truly came to pick you up."
I slowly pulled my hand out of hers.
I said, "Alright, let's go. I would like to hear how Margaret has stayed single all her life."
I followed Lynn to the community hall.
There was a banner hanging at the entrance.
[Elegant Single Women Sharing Session: Margaret Monroe]
Next to the banner, there was a photo backdrop set up.
The board said: [The Wade Family Three-Generation Portrait]
The hall was packed with people.
Michael was sitting in the front row, holding a cup of water for Margaret.
When Margaret saw me, her smile froze for a moment, but she quickly grabbed the microphone.
She said, "Ladies, the most important thing in life is to live for yourself.
"Don't let marriage box you in.
"And don't let yourselves become haggard housewives, chained to the stove and burdened by children."
The crowd broke into applause.
"Ms. Monroe, that's so true," someone shouted from the audience.
"Exactly. Women should live for themselves," another voice chimed in.
Margaret smiled and nodded, still carrying herself with that poised, distant air.
I stood at the back of the crowd and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Plenty of people turned to look at me.
Margaret gripped the microphone, her eyes darkening.
She said, "Madam, whatever you have to say can wait until after the lecture."
I walked forward, step by step.
I said, "I'm done waiting. Since you've come this far in your speech, I would like to hear more."
I shot back, "How does a woman who has held a marriage license with my husband for fifty years stand up there and tell others not to trap themselves in marriage?"
The whole hall erupted.
"What?" someone shouted.
"Who married who?" another voice called out.
"Has Ms. Monroe not always said she never married?" another voice said.
Margaret's expression shifted, but she managed to force a smile.
She snapped, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
I pulled out my phone, opened the golden wedding photo, and enlarged it on the screen.
I said, "Everyone, take a look. Is this not you?"
A few older women in the front row leaned in.
One of them took my phone, looked at the screen, and immediately gasped.
"Wait, isn't that Mr. Wade?" she exclaimed.
"That's definitely a golden wedding photo," another woman chimed in.
Margaret instinctively lunged for my phone, but Michael stepped in and stopped her.
He said, "Susan, stop making a scene."
I looked at him.
I shot back, "I've kept your secrets for a lifetime. Now I speak only the truth, and you call it a scene?"
Charles lunged at me, trying to snatch my phone.
I sidestepped and smacked the back of his hand.
I snapped, "Don't touch me."
Charles froze.
I ignored him and hit play on the recording.
Margaret's voice rang out in the hall. "That certificate means marriage to you, but to me, it's simply a keepsake.
"Lynn was all smiles when she took those photos for us. She said we should've had a proper keepsake ages ago.
"Your son gets it too. He said his father deserved to have his lifelong wish fulfilled."
As soon as the recording ended, the room went dead silent.
Lily suddenly whispered, "Grandma, does that mean Grandma Margaret was never single?"
A child's innocent words cut sharper than any accusation.
Margaret finally snapped, her voice rising to a piercing shriek. "Turn off that recording. How do we know you didn't mess with it?"
I looked at her and smiled.
I said, "Go on, say it in front of everyone if you dare. Tell us you never married Michael Wade."
She opened her mouth.
But nothing came out.
That was all it took. Everyone finally got it.
"Is this not deception?" someone blurted out.
"She preaches about being single, but she has been married for fifty years?" another woman scoffed.
"And she takes golden wedding photos with someone else's husband?" someone else chimed in.
"She always puts down housewives and calls them useless," someone else added.
Margaret's knees buckled, and she nearly went down.
Michael rushed over to steady her.
Watching the scene unfold, I felt only absurdity.
I had lost in life not because I was less beautiful or less well-spoken.
I had lost because I had endured too much, for too long.
I spun around and headed straight for the door.
As I stepped out, I heard Charles behind me, yelling in fury. "It's all your fault. You won't stop until this family's in pieces, will you?"
Without so much as a glance back, I tossed a reply over my shoulder. "This family fell apart a long time ago."